


When We Were Young

by gaarbage (orphan_account)



Category: Naruto
Genre: 6-year-old Gaara, 6-year-old Rock Lee, Everyone is 6 years old, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:35:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24870907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/gaarbage
Summary: Rock Lee and Gaara were playing with sticks and pretending they kunai knives, taking jabs at each other. After a few minutes of trying to impale each other with branches, Lee lied down on the sea of grass. Gaara joined him on the ground. Lee sighed, and said, “Isn’t it crazy how out of all the people in the universe, we met each other?”
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

"Okay, everyone, are we ready to leave?" Baki called over the chatter of the young children that flooded the bus. A chorus of 'Yes, Baki-Sensei!' flooded the Jōnin's ears.

Today, some of the six-year-olds, including Gaara's class, are taking a field trip to Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, for an entire week, on order of the Kazekage in order for them to strengthen their bonds with the Hokage. In all honesty, Gaara would have enjoyed this trip much more if his siblings, Temari and Kankuro, could come with him. However, Temari and Kankuro were too old to go with Gaara, as Temari was already nine, and Kankuro was eight. "Don't worry, Gaara! I had tons of fun during my field trip to Konohagakure, and I think you will too," Temari had softly said, stroking Gaara's red locks gently.

"I'd have more fun if I had friends on the trip.." Gaara had replied glumly, staring at the floor. Everyone in Gaara's age group feared him, and thought he was a freak because of his ability to manipulate sand. "Chin up, li'l buddy! What's that saying? 'When life gives you lemons, squirt them in other people's eyes'?" Gaara's brother, Kankuro, wondered aloud. Temari reached over, and smacked the back of Kankuro's head with her giant fan.

"No, you bozo! It's, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade'!" Temari huffed, her hands on her hips. "I don't see why you had to hit me..." Kankuro muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Listen, _otōto,_ use this as an opportunity to make new friends while you're at the Hidden Leaf Village!" Temari's thumb stroked Gaara's symbol for _'love'_ on his forehead. Almost instantly, Gaara's head had snapped up, and he met his sister's turquoise-blue eyes. "When I come back, I'll have more friends than there are stars in the sky!" Gaara declared, his icy green eyes shimmering with excitement.

What a foolish thing to declare. Gaara was walking towards the bus, his luggage trailing behind him, when he neared a group of kids his own age. They were talking indistinctly and laughing, but as soon as Gaara past them, they fell silent, their wide eyes trained on the boy in front of them, as if he might suddenly spin around and tell the sand to attack them. Gaara tried not to show it, but this hurt him dearly, the way even children mistrusted him. He clung tighter to his stuffed bear, and wiped his already-tearing eyes on its synthetic fur.

Gaara had handed his luggage to Baki, and climbed inside of the bus, where his ears were met with the hum of children babbling on about their day or something. Gaara tried to find a seat, but every time he found an empty seat, the children sitting next to them put something on the seat so that he wouldn't sit down. Gaara had ended up sitting all the way in the back, with only his teddy bear for company. The young boy sniffled, and buried his face in his teddy bear's head. "At least you don't run away in fear whenever I'm near you, teddy bear," Gaara whispered as the bus roared to life.

The journey to Konohagakure would take roughly three hours, but Gaara didn't know if he could withstand the loud hum of the bus for that long. Instead, he tuned the world around him out, and settled for staring out of the window, admiring the scenery that was before him. Gaara had never been outside of his beloved village, so he was definitely intrigued. He watched as the landscape slowly turned from the everlasting bleakness of the dunes to tall, lush grass that was loitered with exotic wildflowers. He examined the sky, as it was no longer clouded with dust, but instead was clearer than a crystal. The sky was too blue, almost painfully blue. Gaara was used to the bland stretch of azure that was the sky back home.

Gaara could feel eyes boring into his skull, but he didn't turn around. Instead, he focused on the hushed conversation that was going on behind him. "....I can't believe that Baki-Sensei would allow the freak to come with us on this trip," an unpleasantly shrill girl's voice seethed. "I heard that he almost crushed a girl's leg because she didn't want to play with him, and then he tried to poison her with medicine!" came another girl's voice. Immediately, Gaara tuned himself back out, as the vision that the girl had described was slipping into his brain. He didn't _want_ to crush her leg, he just wanted to play...

For some reason, the world around Gaara became blurry around the edges. Gaara felt something splatter on his cheeks, and he swiped at it with his fingers. His fingers were met with a moisture that Gaara recognized as water. His fingers traveled up to his eyes, where he felt more water pooling at the edge. Gaara didn't realize that he was crying. He wiped furiously at his eyes, and sniffled, water trickling down from his nostrils. He hated that he was able to feel this type of pain, and not the physical type. His uncle Yashamaru had told him that his heart was aching because he was sad, but Gaara didn't know how he'd become happy without friends. Of course, he had his siblings, but deep down, Gaara knew that they only played with him because he was their _otōto_. 

Gaara wanted to go out into the real world, and make real friends, but he didn't know how. How could he make friends when everyone within his village despised him and viewed him as a monster? The world began to blur again, and Gaara wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He sincerely hoped that he would find friends at Konohagakure. Gaara curled himself up into a little ball, rested his forehead against the window pane, and closed his eyes, comforted by the thoughts of all his new friends. He concentrated on what they would look like, how they would act, and how they talked. Ideally, Gaara's friend would have kind eyes and a soft voice. 

The more Gaara thought of his fictional friend, the more excited he got. He launched himself into a fantasy wherein he and his 'friend' meet when they stop the other children from talking maliciously about Gaara. Gaara would then thank them, and they would become best friends forever. However, Gaara's little daydream was interrupted when the bus suddenly stopped. The bus lurched forward, them collapsed back, like an elderly person trying to rise from their seat. Gaara was sent flying slightly forward, then thrown back, his head protected by the thick padding of the bus's seats.

"Alright, children, we're here!" Baki sang, his voice bouncing off the bus's walls. Cheers erupted from the bus, as children began to stand up, stretch their limbs, or wake up from a nap. Gaara couldn't believe it had been three hours since their departure. It felt more like an hour, at most. "Everyone, take turns getting off of the bus! I'll dismiss one row at a time. Do _NOT_ get up if your row hasn't been called yet!" Baki instructed. A row of children were dismissed, one at a time, as their excited chatter flooded the bus. "Sitting all alone, are we, Gaara?" Baki murmured softly, leaning against a seat. Gaara could only nod as he clung tightly to his teddy.

"Wanna hear a secret?" the Jōnin stage-whispered, leaning in. Gaara nodded eagerly, although he was a bit uncomfortable at the proximity. "I'll bet that if you make lots of friends here, the other kids will hear what a great friend you are, and they'll all want to become your buddy!" Gaara's eyes widened at the information that his Sensei just shared. "I haven't thought of it like that, Baki-Sensei! Wow! I'll make sure to make lots of new friends!" Gaara exclaimed, determination ablaze in his eyes. "That's the spirit! Go get 'em, tiger!" And with that, Gaara leapt off of his seat, and ran towards the exit of the bus, stumbling as he went.

He jumped off of the bus's stairs, and landed with an _oomph_ on solid ground, which was covered in a blanket of green. Gaara wasn't used to this much greenery and color. Everywhere he looked was either laden with flowers, or a building was occupying that space. Not much sand could be seen so far, which unsettled Gaara. In the distance, he could see a looming gate that bore the Hidden Leaf Village's symbol. "Alright, children, follow me! We're almost there!" Baki called over the shouting, and motioned for the youngsters to come along with him. As they were walking, Gaara became fascinated with the giant trees that were almost everywhere. He didn't know if it was a trick of the light, but Gaara could've sworn that he saw shadows zipping through the trees.

The further they walked, the more apparent something became; the children were giving Gaara a wide berth of space, and whenever he neared a group of kids, they squealed and ran a safe distance away. Gaara could feel the prickling of tears forming in his eyes, but he wouldn't give them the pleasure of seeing him cry. Instead, he smiled and began humming to himself, his teddy bear swinging along with his arms. Gaara couldn't wait to see the Hidden Leaf Village. Every now and then, he would let out a squeak of excitement, alarming the children that were nearest to him. But, for once in his life, he didn't care what the other kids were thinking right this moment. All he cared about was meeting new friends.

In the distance, Gaara could see two figures standing in front of Konoha's massive gates, which he immediately identified as Leaf Shinobi. Normally, this would frighten Gaara, and he could feel the sand creeping up and settling on his skin, which acted like armor. However, as the group drew closer, the ninja that were to greet them had kind faces. The entrance to Konohagakure was absolutely gorgeous; the buildings were worn and ancient, yet they were leaking with history, and the grass was a shade of mundane blue. One ninja had a long, pink scar running across his face, sun-tanned skin, and umber-brown hair that was tied into a ponytail. The other had inky-black hair that was styled into a bowl cut, and very thick eyebrows.

"Welcome, children!" the bowl cut man boomed, extending his arms. "I am Gai-Sensei, and this here is Iruka-Sensei! We welcome you to our humble village!" Gaara winced at Gai-Sensei's deafening voice. The man called Iruka-Sensei strolled forward, shook Baki-Sensei's hand, and carried some of the luggage in a show of helpfulness. "Follow us, kids." Iruka-Sensei motioned for the students to follow them, as he walked inside of the gate. Gaara preferred Iruka-Sensei's voice; quiet and calm, like the ocean. Gai-Sensei's voice reminded him of a foghorn. As they passed through the gates, the streets were buzzing with action; people were chatting with each other, while children were running around, screaming and laughing.

As soon as the Leaf children saw the Sand children pass through, they stopped their playing, and began to point and whisper. Gaara found that he didn't like being gawked at like a zoo animal. He locked eyes with a child with spiky blonde hair and denim-blue eyes, who was playing with another child who also had spiky hair, but instead of blonde, it was a shade of raven-black, and his eyes were like coal, stiff and cold. Gaara instantly looked away, and instead looked down at his bear, occasionally stumbling over rocks on the path. Iruka-Sensei stopped in front of a building that looked very much like a hotel. "This is our stop, kids. Go ahead and run inside, and take a look around, okay?" Iruka-Sensei smiled at the children in front of him.

Almost as soon as those words came out, Gaara's classmates all ran forward to collect their luggage, and sped inside, hoping to claim decent rooms. Gaara curled up into a half-ball as the children stampeded past him, shielding his face. As the kids all went inside, Gaara exhaled, and dragged his suitcase inside. The classmates were chattering happily, bragging about their rooms and the view. Already, children from Konoha were beginning to crowd around the hotel, trying to peer inside the windows. Gaara walked silently up the stairs, and chose the bedroom at the very end of the corridor. There was a twin-size bed, which came with a fluffy, white blanket, and matching pillows.

There were a couple of bookcases, which were laden with children's books, a window, two lamps, a closet, and a few paintings. Overall, the room was a bit bland, but Gaara liked it that way. There was a door, which Gaara guessed that it led to the bathroom. He sighed, and began to unpack his things, putting them a way in a meticulous, orderly fashion. By the time Gaara was finished, the sun had begun to set, which cast long strips of sunlight into his room. Gaara had seen a playground on his way over here, so he decided to go over there and socialize with the Konoha children.

Gaara exited his room, and skipped his way downstairs, the hotel strangely quiet. When he stepped outside, all of his classmates were outside, already playing with the Konoha children. Gaara scanned the setting apprehensively, and decided to just go to the playground. It took a while, but eventually, he found the playground, and sat down on the swings, pushing himself back and forth slightly with his feet, sitting his teddy bear on his lap. He watched a soccer game going on in front of him, a mixture of the Leaf children and his classmates. One of the kids had kicked the ball extra hard, and it landed on top of a roof near the playground.

Gaara examined the children's dejected expressions, and decided to help out. He closed his eyes in concentration, raised his hand towards the ball, and send a spear of sand shooting towards the soccer ball. The sand formed into a cloud, lifted the ball from the roof, and sent it into the arms of Gaara. He opened his eyes, and held the ball out for the kids to take. Their expressions were not what Gaara was expecting. The kids looked _horrified_. They slowly began to inch away, their eyes wide and their mouths agape. One Konoha child began to walk forward uncertainly, but one of Gaara's classmates threw their arm out, and whispered something in their ear.

Gaara couldn't take it anymore. The dam that blocked Gaara's tears suddenly broke loose, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. Gaara threw the ball towards the crowd, and ran. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care; he just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. At first, Gaara didn't even realize that it was raining, he just thought that it was his tears, until he felt water droplets on his hair. He opened his eyes, and realized that the pearly-grey clouds were bathing the world. Gaara didn't care. He just kept running, tripping and stumbling along the way.

He stopped when he neared a dock that was surrounded by water, and collapsed, mud staining his clothes and his teddy bear. He brought his knees up to his face, and sobbed, the tears flowing thick down his cheeks. In all honesty, it felt good to have a good cry after bottling up his emotions. After a few moments, he realized that the rain wasn't hammering against him. Gaara opened his eyes, and found a pair of jet-black eyes staring right back at him.

Ｇ♡Ｌ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you didn't know, 'otōto' means 'baby brother' in Japanese.


	2. Chapter 2

When Gaara realized that the rain wasn't soaking his hair and his clothes, he opened his icy green eyes, and found a pair of jet-black eyes staring right back at him.

The kind, black eyes belonged to a little boy around Gaara's age. He had extremely bushy eyebrows, long eyelashes, and soft, plump cheeks. His suntanned skin was covered in bruises and cuts. His rosy lips were formed into a slight pout as he examined Gaara's face closely. His hair reminded Gaara of Gai-Sensei's hair, except it wasn't styled into a bowl-cut. The hair was the same shade of inky-black, and it was tremendously glossy as well. His shiny bangs were parted down the middle, and his flowing hair was styled into a braid. Gaara realized that the strange boy was holding an umbrella over the both of them. Gaara sniffled, causing the boy's head to cock sideways, giving him the look of a confused puppy.

"Where are your eyebrows?" the odd boy inquired, leaning forward. Gaara's cheeks flushed at the proximity. "I....I was born without them.." Gaara replied, his voice barely higher than a whisper. The boy's lips formed into a slight 'o' in understanding. "Why are you crying?" the boy asked softly, wiping some of Gaara's tears, causing his cheeks to warm again. This boy made Gaara feel....funny. "S-Some of the kids we-were being mean.." Gaara hiccupped. He could feel the tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes again. "I am so sorry to hear that," the boy sighed, staring deeply into Gaara's eyes. "A few of the kids around here can be very rude when they want to be." The peculiar boy stood up, brushed off his clothes, and extended a soft hand towards Gaara.

Hesitantly, Gaara took the boy's hand. Smooth, milky-white met soft, sun-kissed skin. The boy tugged on Gaara's hand, and helped him up. "My name is Rock Lee, but everyone calls me Lee. May I ask what your name is?" Gaara was silent for a moment as millions of thoughts ran through his head. _Was he about to make a friend?_ "I...I'm Gaara." he whispered. "Gaara," Lee echoed, and beamed happily, causing Gaara's heart to skip a few beats. "Very nice to meet you! You are not from around here correct?" Lee inquired. He nodded. "I'm from Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand," Lee nodded to show he was listening. "I see. Are you one of the children that came here on a field trip requested by the Kazekage?" Gaara nodded, amazed at Lee's advanced vocabulary.

Lee brushed off the mud from Gaara's clothes gently. "I am sorry for the emotional distress the Konoha children have caused you," Lee frowned. Gaara was at a loss for words; nobody had apologized to him before, not counting his siblings. Lee pulled Gaara into an unexpected hug, knocking the wind out of the redhead. Usually, sudden movements would've caused Gaara's sand to crush that person to a bloody pulp, but Lee was different. Gaara didn't realize how cold he was until Lee had embraced him. _He was so warm..._ Gaara was soaked to the bone, and so was his stuffed bear. Gaara could feel Lee's heart thumping against his own, he could feel Lee inhale and exhale, and he could feel the warmth radiating from his body to Gaara's.

Lee pulled back, and held Gaara by his shoulders. "Would you like to be friends?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face. Gaara couldn't breathe. He had been waiting for this moment his whole life, and it had finally come. Almost instantly, Gaara's face broke into a radiant, glowing smile. "I'd love to!" he exclaimed. Lee grinned, and squeezed Gaara's shoulders. "I am happy to hear!" he cried. Gaara found himself attracted to Lee's smile. When Lee smiled, it reached his eyes, causing them to resemble crescent moons, and his cheeks would flush with joy. Gaara was envious of Lee's happy personality. _"LEE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT IN THE RAIN?!"_ a girl's voice yelled. Gaara and Lee's heads snapped towards the voice, and saw a little girl in front of a snug house, jumping up and down.

_"I AM MAKING A FRIEND, TENTEN!"_ Lee yelled back, waving his and Gaara's arms frantically. _"GET BACK IN HERE, YOU'RE GONNA CATCH A COLD!"_ the girl named Tenten shouted angrily. Lee huffed in annoyance, and turned to face Gaara, and apologetic expression on his face. "I am very sorry, Gaara, but I must go! Here, take my umbrella," Lee handed Gaara the umbrella, causing the rain to instantly soak Lee's clothes. "N-No, the girl's right...What if you get sick?" Gaara murmured, trying to cover Lee with the umbrella. Lee flashed Gaara a grin, and flexed his arms. "I am much too strong to get sick!" Lee's face grew slightly serious.

"It was very nice to meet you, Gaara." he said, smiling slightly. Lee turned around, and sprinted towards the girl. "I will see you tomorrow!" Lee yelled over his shoulder, waving. He stumbled over a rock, but he kept going, his braid flowing behind him. Lee approached the girl, Tenten, and bowed deeply. Gaara guessed that he was apologizing. Another small boy about Lee's age emerged from the house to greet Lee, patting him on the back and steering him inside. Tenten followed them in, and Gaara could see their shadows inside. Gaara couldn't wait to see Lee tomorrow.

He skipped happily to the hotel, wiping his muddy shoes on the outdoor mat. He slipped off his shoes, and held them in his left hand, his teddy bear in his right. The Suna children were blathering on about their day and their new friends, but as soon as Gaara stepped in, they fell silent, their expressions frozen with terror. Gaara couldn't care less. Instead, he stood in the middle of the living room, and examined their faces with a smile on his own, before he pranced up the stairs, grinning like an idiot. He barged into his room, flopped onto his bed, and squealed into his pillow, kicking his legs up and down. He couldn't _believe_ that he just made a friend! He flipped onto his back, and stared at Lee's umbrella, which had little frogs on them.

He squealed again, and flailed his arms _and_ legs. He remembered the regretful expression on Lee's face when he had to leave, he remembered the warmth of Lee's body against Gaara's, and he remembered the way Lee made his heart stutter and trip. His cheeks flushed happily, and bounded to the bathroom to take a warm shower. He couldn't wait to see Lee again.

Ｇ♡Ｌ


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is extremely long, but I hope you enjoy!

Gaara couldn't sleep.

Not only because he was too eager to see Lee again, but because of Shukaku, an extremely powerful beast with immensely high chakra. When Gaara's mother was pregnant with Gaara, his father, the Fourth Kazekage, sealed Shukaku inside of Gaara. Because of this, Gaara had never been able to sleep for the past six years. Gaara was quite intrigued with the idea of sleep. He wondered what he would dream about if he _was_ able to sleep. As soon as he was able to confirm that everyone was asleep, he jumped out of bed, picked out a stack of random children's books, and snuck downstairs. There was a ledge by one of the windows, so Gaara decided to plop himself on there, open up his book, and listen to the sound of the pouring rain.

As Gaara continued to read through the books, he heard the patter of rain come to a halt, and he saw the sun beginning to rise in the east. The sky slowly turned from midnight-blue, to cobalt, to baby-blue, to tangerine-orange, and, at the very end, fiery red. One by one, the stars disappeared, only to be replaced with fluffy white clouds. Judging by the position of the sun, Gaara estimated that it was nine o'clock. Slowly, children began to descend from the stairs, only to eye Gaara precariously, and climb back up the stairs. As long as Baki-Sensei wasn't around, the didn't trust Gaara enough to be alone with him. Surprisingly, this didn't bother Gaara at all. He liked the peace and quiet of early morning, with nothing but the songs of birds to accompany him.

At about ten-thirty, Baki-Sensei came down the stairs, a cheery smile on his face. What seemed like all of the Suna children trailed behind him, now feeling safe enough to be in the same room as Gaara. While Baki-Sensei made pancakes for the children, the sound of someone's knuckles rapping against the door could be heard. Almost immediately, everyone's attention was now on the door. The hotel didn't permit visitors, so whoever came here would probably get in a lot of trouble... Baki strode towards the door, and with one swift motioned, opened it up, to reveal a small boy, who Gaara immediately recognized as Lee. He had a sweet smile plastered on his face, and he held his hands behind his back, as if holding something that was not to be revealed.

Baki immediately became suspicious. "And who might you be?" he inquired, leaning down to face the cheery Konoha boy. "Greetings, sir! I am very sorry to disrupt your routine, but is Gaara here?" Lee poked his head into the room, and recognized Gaara at once. Everyone's eyes were now on Gaara and the newcomer, and Gaara could feel his face heat up from all the staring. "Ah, nice to see you again, Gaara!" Lee exclaimed, running inside of the building and embracing Gaara as if he were a brother. The children gasped at this scandalous action, and began whispering to each other at once. Gaara couldn't find his voice as he stared into the lovely face of Lee. 

"L-Lee, what are you doing here..?" Gaara finally asked, his voice hoarse. "I was wondering if you'd like to spend the day with me, so we could get to know each other better!" Lee beamed happily, awaiting his companion's response. Even if Gaara didn't want to spend the day with Lee (which he did), he wouldn't be able to say 'no' to his cherubic face. "Of course! I-I'd be happy to!" Gaara replied, equally as exuberant. Something had just occurred to the redhead; he always stuttered and stammered whenever he was around Lee, and he didn't know why. 

"Great! Let us be off!" And with that being said, Lee grabbed Gaara's hand firmly, and they both sprinted out of the door, nearly trampling Baki. Gaara's book lay desolate and forgotten on the floor as the two boys ran to a specific destination, though Gaara didn't know where. Buildings passed by in a blur as they neared an enormous greenhouse building with a glass roof. A little pink-haired girl was talking to the receptionist, another little blonde girl. They seemed to be talking about bananas. As Lee and Gaara approached, they quieted down. "Hey, Lee, what can I do you for?" the blonde girl asked merrily, her teal-blue eyes sparkling. "Nice to see you, Ino! Sakura!" Lee nodded towards the pink-haired girl, who nodded back, smiling lightly.

"Is it alright if Gaara and I access the Cherry Blossom Exhibit?" Lee asked politely. The girl called Ino nodded, smiling happily. "Of course, Lee! You know you don't have to ask, right?" Lee shrugged. "I believe that it is more polite to ask permission. Thank you, Ino!" Before the blonde could respond, Lee had grabbed Gaara's hand again, and they dashed past numerous exhibits, before they reached a giant, glass-covered exhibit, with the sign, "𝙲𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚖 𝙴𝚡𝚑𝚒𝚋𝚒𝚝." Lee opened the door for the two of them, and Gaara was greeted with a beautiful sight—giant pink trees covered every inch of the exhibit, except for a cobblestone path that led this way and that.

Lee guided Gaara towards a metal bench, which laid directly underneath two massive cherry blossom trees. As the two sat down, Lee pulled out a backpack stuffed with snacks. Gaara looked around, amazed at such a gorgeous sight. Lee placed the backpack in-between the two boys, and zipped it open. They sat in silence for a few moments, as Gaara was too busy admiring the scene before him, and Lee was too busy admiring Gaara's features. Lee didn't realize how beautiful Gaara's green eyes were until now. Lee adored the way Gaara's sea-green eyes sparkled with astonishment at the cherry trees. the pink blossoms reflected Gaara's milky-white skin, which gave him a rosy complexion.

"You have a very pretty smile," Lee blurted. Gaara didn't even realize that he was smiling until Lee pointed it out. Gaara flushed a soft pink, and his heart gave a not-so-gentle squeeze. "Th...Thanks..." he replied lamely. After a few seconds of slightly awkward silence, the bushy-browed boy swung his legs over the bench, and glanced around. "So...when is your birthday, Gaara?" Gaara hummed softly under his breath before responding. "January 19th, so that makes me six years old!" Gaara held up six fingers for emphasis. Lee smiled casually, and said, "My birthday is November 27th, so I am seven years old!" Lee held up seven fingers opposed to Gaara's six. The younger boy was glad he was learning all this stuff about Lee.

The two boys continued to chat, trying to learn as much as they can about each other. Every now and then, Gaara would erupt in a fit of giggles, causing Lee's heart to go into overdrive. Lee absolutely loved to hear Gaara's laughter; it reminded him of windchimes on a pearly-grey day. Slowly, Lee could feel himself drowning in Gaara's shimmering green eyes.

Ｇ♡Ｌ

Today was a Wednesday. Gaara knew this because Lee had intense Taijutsu training with his teammates, Tenten and Neji, today. Lee had told him that he would greet him at three o'clock in the afternoon. Sometimes, Gaara found himself nervous for Lee. He hoped that Neji or Tenten wouldn't hurt him too bad... Gaara had himself perched up in a tree, when a little boy with golden, spiky hair joined him. Gaara recognized this little boy at once; he was playing at the front of the gate when the Suna children were barely arriving. "Hey, there!" he grinned, his sky-blue eyes closing halfway. His smile reminded Gaara of Lee's, except he thought that Lee's smile was more attractive.

"Erm...hi.." Gaara responded, boredom oozing thick from his words. "I'm Naruto! Are you all alone up here?" the boy called Naruto asked. Gaara shook his head, his untidy red hair flopping around. "No, I'm just waiting for a friend," he responded, staring at Konoha Academy in the distance. The boy nodded. "Oh, okay. I just didn't want you to be alone, so good to know!" Gaara was slightly caught off-guard by this. This boy, Naruto, was surprisingly kind. _"Naruto, come back down!"_ another boy yelled. Gaara looked down, to see the cold, raven-haired boy. "Coming, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled back, sliding off the branch. "It was nice to meet you!" he waved at Gaara, before falling off the branch, landing swiftly, kind of like a cat.

Gaara sighed, and stared longingly at The Academy, only to be met with a horrible sight. Lee was being assaulted.

A group of boys were shoving Lee around, while he guarded his face. Gaara was filled with an unexpected feeling; white-hot anger licked at his insides, making his fists tremble. Gaara leapt off of the branch, the sand slithering out and cushioning his fall, and he bolted towards The Academy, fueled by his rage. He approached the group of kids, trying to calm himself down. Shukaku stirred in his chest, and was roaring hideously, clawing at his chest. "You're such a loser! Can't even use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu!" one of the kids yelled, shoving Lee particularly hard. Lee stumbled backwards, and hit his head as he fell onto the rough ground. 

_"HEY!"_ Gaara shouted, attracting the attention of the group. Lee flipped onto his stomach, and looked up, an expression of shock written on his soft, now-scratched face. Gaara lifted one hand, and sent a spear of sand hurtling towards the group, scattering the boys. The sand wrapped itself firmly around Lee's torso, lifted him into the air, and motioned for the sand to come back to him. The sand put Lee down gently behind Gaara, and as soon as Lee hit the ground, Gaara put up a wall of sand around him, shielding the older boy. "You don't get to treat my friend like that. If you want to hurt him, you'll have to hurt me." Gaara snarled. For once, Gaara looked truly frightening, the monster that people made him out to be.

The boys shrunk back in fear, and began shoving one another in their attempt to run off. Gaara huffed, and the sand slithered away, revealing Lee. The younger boy turned around, and extended a hand towards Lee, a soft smile lighting up his features. Lee, who was still in shock, took Gaara's hand, and stood up. Lee brushed off the dust from his clothes, and Gaara was appalled to see that he was crying. "Lee, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously, taking Lee's face into his hands. "I appreciate you standing up to those children for me so much, Gaara! I do not deserve you!" Lee sobbed, hugging Gaara tightly. "S-Stop it, Lee! You're embarrassing me!" Gaara wailed, his cheeks crimson.

Ｇ♡Ｌ

On Thursday, Lee and Gaara had planned something special. For their '3-Day-Anniversary,' they decided to have a picnic where they first met, the grassy hill that overlooked the water. "God, when I see those bullies again, I'm gonna whoop their sorry butts!" Tenten exclaimed angrily as she applied cream to one of Lee's many superficial cuts. "Violence is not always the answer, Tenten," Neji said calmly as he tended to one of their many flowers. "Oh, shut up, Neji!" Tenten snapped, pressing down on one of Lee's cuts, causing Lee to wince slightly. "Ah, sorry Lee..It's just that those losers get me so _mad_ sometimes!" Tenten sighed, putting a band-aid over one of Lee's deeper cuts. "Do not let them get into your head, Tenten. That's exactly what they want." Neji advised, spraying water gently on a wildflower.

"You're right, Neji. You know, you can be really wise sometimes." Tenten hummed, smiling softly at her comrade. Neji made a soft noise of appreciation in response. "Okay, I shall be on my way now!" Lee beamed sweetly. He found himself very eager to see Gaara's face, especially his eyes. Lee found himself in love with the color of Gaara's eyes. "Off to see your boyfriend, Lee?" Tenten giggled, wiggling her eyebrows. Lee blushed furiously, and shoved Tenten. "Tenten, it is not like that! Gaara and I are just friends!" he squeaked, waving his hands. 

"Oh really? Why are you so excited to see him?" Neji asked, smirking. Lee spluttered for a moment before finding his words. "G-Gaara is my friend, Neji! Aren't you excited to see your friends?" Neji shrugged. "Fair point." Tenten opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Lee snatched the picnic basket and ran out the door. Because of Tenten's teasing, Lee would be a few minutes earlier than Gaara. He skipped happily to their spot, only to see two other kids playing there, who he recognized as Sasuke and Naruto. "Oh, hey, Bushy Brows!" Naruto exclaimed, waving happily.

Sasuke turned around, met Lee's eyes, and turned back. Sasuke gave Lee the creeps sometimes. "Hello, Naruto! Do you mind if you leave? I am supposed to meet a friend here, and I would prefer if we were alone.." Lee asked nervously, fidgeting with his shirt. "Of course I don't mind, Lee! Sasuke and I were about to leave anyways. C'mon, Sasuke!" Naruto ran off, Sasuke hot on his trail. Lee laid out the picnic blanket and their food, sat down, and stared idly at the sky. Not long after, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and Gaara sat down right next to him.

"Hey, Lee, how's your day so far?" Gaara asked, smiling. "It is much better, now that you are here." Lee blurted. Immediately, both his and Gaara's faces turned pink, and they both looked away. After a few moments of awkward silence, Lee spotted something in the distance; two sticks. "Gaara, look, look! Sticks! Wanna play 'ANBU Black Ops?'" he asked excitedly. Gaara beamed. "Sure, let's go!" Gaara dashed towards the two sticks. Before Lee chased after Gaara, he took a sandwich, and ran after him. Lee and Gaara began playing with the sticks and pretended that they kunai knives, and they began to take jabs at each other. After a few minutes of trying to impale each other with the branches, Lee lied down on the sea of grass. Gaara joined him on the ground. Lee sighed, and said, “Isn’t it crazy how out of all the people in the universe, we met each other?” Gaara hummed in agreement.

Ｇ♡Ｌ

As Friday approached, Gaara began to fret slightly. He didn't want to leave Lee, but he also didn't want to leave his siblings. Leave Lee, leave his siblings, leave Lee, leave his siblings. Soon after, Gaara's mind was ping-ponging around in his skull, making his head hurt. Gaara rubbed his temples, evidently distressed. "Hey, bud, what's the matter?" someone asked. Gaara's head snapped up to the source of the voice, which was Baki-Sensei. "Well...I made a friend, Sensei," Gaara began. "That's great, Gaara!" Baki exclaimed. The young boy stared up at him with large, sad eyes. "...or not," Baki muttered. "I think...I'm in love.." Gaara sighed, fidgeting with his hands. Baki was silent for a moment. "Is it that bushy-browed boy?" he asked.

Gaara nodded, slightly embarrassed. Baki smiled gently. "You should go after him, Gaara! I can tell that he really likes you, too." Gaara's eyes lit up with hope. "R-Really? You think so?" Baki laughed. "Of course, Gaara, he's crazy for you!" Gaara beamed, determination flaring up inside of him. "I will go after him, Baki-Sensei! Thank you!" Gaara sprinted out of his room, down the stairs, and hurtled out the door, heading straight for Lee's house. He knocked on the door furiously, and kept knocking until someone answered. A boy with long, luscious hair and light lavender eyes. 

"May I help you?" he inquired, evidently impatient. "I need to speak with Lee," Gaara stated breathlessly. The boy's eyes lit up with recognition. "Are you Gaara?" The redhead nodded. "Lee talks a lot about you. I'm Neji, a friend of Lee's." Neji smiled kindly, before turning around. _"LEE, GAARA'S HERE FOR YOU!"_ he yelled. Gaara winced at his loud voice. There was the sound of hurried footsteps, something crashing, and Lee turned up in the doorway, out of breath. "H...hello, Gaara!" Lee beamed, still out of breath. "H-Hey, Lee. I...um...I was wondering if you...wanted to watch the sunset with me?" Gaara asked, suddenly nervous.

Lee smiled and nodded. "Of course, I'd love to watch the sunset!" Gaara exhaled shakily. The younger boy was breaking out in a cold sweat. "Come on, let us go!" Lee grabbed Gaara's hand, and they ran towards the highest building they could find. They leapt on top of the roof, sat down, and stared out at the sky, which was turning a golden red. Slowly, Gaara shifted closer to Lee, and rested his head on Lee's shoulder. Lee let out a small squeak, before relaxing. He laid his head on top of Gaara's as stars began to appear. Gaara tried to muster up all the courage he could for this next part.

"Lee..?" he croaked out softly, turning his head to the older boy. "Yes, Gaara?" He turned to face the smaller boy, their eyes locking. Slowly, Lee's cheeks began to turn red. Gaara inhaled shakily, and leaned in quickly. Gaara's lips met Lee's for a brief moment, before Gaara pulled back, blushing furiously. Lee stared at Gaara, his face an adorable shade of red. He began to splutter incoherently, trying to form words. Before he could, Gaara leapt up, and jumped off of the roof, running to his hotel. Gaara could hear Lee calling after him, but he didn't turn back. Gaara let out a squeal of ecstasy, and continued to run.

Ｇ♡Ｌ

On Saturday, all Suna children were required to pack up their belongings for the trip back home tomorrow. Gaara moped around the hotel, miserable that they had to leave Konohagakure. "Hey, Gaara, how did it go?" Baki asked, smiling. Gaara stared up at Baki for a moment, before bursting into tears. "I think I ruined our friendship, Baki-Sensei!" he wailed. "He hasn't came by at all today, and it's already four o'clock!" Baki leaned down, and wiped Gaara's tears. "Hey, hey, it's okay! I'm sure that Lee has something important to do, and I'm sure that he'll be here soon, okay?"

As soon as those words came out, somebody knocked on the door. Before Baki could take one step, Gaara zoomed past him, and flew down the stairs. He wrenched the door open, to reveal the one person he wanted to see the most, Lee. He seemed flustered and nervous, and when Gaara opened the door, he jumped slightly. "O-Oh! Hi, Gaara...Can we...go somewhere more private?" he asked timidly, holding his hands behind his back like last time. Gaara felt like he was submerged in ice water. Lee was probably going to tell him that they couldn't be friends anymore...

"S-Sure, whatever you want, Lee." Gaara stammered, his heart beating like a fast-tempo drum. Lee held out one hand for Gaara to take, while he kept the other behind his back. Gaara eagerly took Lee's hand, and he led them somewhere, Gaara didn't know where. However as they neared their destination, Gaara recognized their surroundings; they were at their spot, the grassy hill overlooking the water. He led Gaara to the dock, where he stopped, and turned to face the Suna child. "Gaara...I've been thinking about what happened.." Lee began, his voice shaking.

Gaara waited nervously, his hands clammy. "I told Neji and Tenten, and they both told me the same thing..." Lee let go of Gaara's hand, and got down on one knee. He held out the hand he was hiding, which revealed a piece of twine in the shape of a ring. "Gaara, will you marry me?" Both Gaara and Lee didn't really understand the concept of marriage. All they knew was that you proposed to someone who you really cared about. Gaara sighed in relief, and took the twine out of Lee's hands instantly. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" Lee laughed, exuberant, and hugged Gaara tightly.

Gaara slipped the makeshift ring onto his third finger, and Lee took out a second twine ring, and slid it onto his third finger. Lee leaned in quickly, met Gaara's lips, and pulled back within a second. "Ewww!" they both giggled, covering their mouths. Both of them looked to the sky, which was dotted with stars. "Well, I'd better go, what with me leaving tomorrow early and all..." Gaara sighed, shuffling his feet. Lee took the younger boy's face in his hands, and beamed. "Do not worry, Gaara! I vow that I will never forget you!" Gaara smiled sadly. "I won't forget you either, Lee."

Ｇ♡Ｌ

One by one, the children of Sunagakure climbed onto the bus, waving goodbye at their new Konoha friends. Baki heaved their luggage onto the deck of the bus, Iruka-Sensei helping him out. Gaara lingered by the head of the bus, staring out at the gates of Konohagakure, waiting for a specific someone. "Hey, Gaara, we have to go now, okay?" Baki said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. Gaara sighed, and looked at the gates one more time, only to see a small boy running towards their bus. _"W-WAIT! DO NOT GET ON THE BUS YET, GAARA!"_ the boy yelled. Gaara instantly recognized this as Lee's voice.

Lee halted in front of Gaara, doubled over, gasping for air. "G...Gaara...I....have....a present...for you.." he panted, holding something. He straightened up his back, and gave Gaara his best smile. Gaara gently took the thing that Lee had offered him, which was a cactus with a single flower. "Oh, Lee, I love it!" he gasped, admiring the plant. Lee beamed with glee. "Just a little something that you will remember me by!" The bus honked impatiently, causing the two boys to jump. Gaara turned to face Lee, and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek. "'Bye, Lee," he whispered, before jumping onto the bus, and taking his usual seat at the very back. He withdrew his teddy bear from his suitcase, and held it close, as he admired Lee's twine marriage ring. He stared glumly out the window as the bus began to reverse.

Ｇ♡Ｌ

**_6 years later...._ **

"Hey, Gaara, you ready to leave?" Temari asked, now 15 years old. Gaara, now 12 years old, turned to face his sister, and turned back to his cactus. "I...I'll meet you and Kankuro there in a little bit, okay?" he responded. Temari gave him a slight smile, pat him on the shoulder, and exited the room. It had been six years since Gaara had been in Konohagakure for his Chunin exams, and, to be honest, he was a bit nervous. He had gone through various scenarios where he would run into a certain Leaf Shinobi. He stared at the cactus, then at a picture that had been taken during the fourth day of his Konoha field trip. The photo revealed the certain Shinobi wrapping his arm around Gaara's shoulder, beaming happily into the camera, while young Gaara smiled shyly at the camera.

He then stared at the twine ring that the Konoha child had given him on his last day at the Hidden Leaf Village. Gaara sighed, and sprayed his cactus with water. "I'll be back, Lee-san," he murmured. He straightened up, and exited the hotel room. Before he met up with Temari, he wanted to go to a specific destination. Gaara left the hotel, and walked north, passing familiar and unfamiliar faces. Some greeted him, while some ignored him. He continued to walk north, until he found what he was looking for; the grassy hill that overlooked the water. As he approached the dock to sit down and be alone with his thoughts, he realized that someone was there. 

There was a boy sitting on the dock, his legs dangling over the water. Something about him seemed very familiar to Gaara. The Sand shinobi performed his Third-Eye Jutsu, and the eye floated towards the boy, hidden by the long grass. As Gaara studied the boy, he realized, with a jolt of his heart, that he was the boy that Gaara wanted to find. Rock Lee. Lee had changed; he had grown taller. His glossy, inky-black hair was cut and styled into a bowl-cut, and he wore a green jumpsuit. His forehead protector was tied around his waist, and he wore orange ankle weights. His hands were bandaged, and Gaara had a flashback of when those kids were hassling Lee.

The Third Eye disappeared, and Gaara cautiously walked forward. This older Lee turned around when he heard the creaking of the dock, and gave a friendly smile to Gaara. "Oh, hello, there." he said politely. Even though Gaara hadn't seen him for six years, Lee still had the same effect he had on Gaara when they were six years old. With a sudden pang in his heart, Gaara realized something; Lee didn't remember him. _"Hey, Lee, we gotta go!"_ a girl yelled. _"Coming, Tenten!"_ Lee yelled back. He stood up, and brushed off his green jumpsuit. He flashed Gaara a polite smile, and jogged over towards Tenten.

Gaara strode forward, plopped himself onto the deck, and choked back tears. How could his first friend not remember him? Gaara stared into the water, the misery overcoming him. Lee was his first friend, and he didn't even remember him. Lee approached Tenten, bowed slightly, and stood up. "Let us be off, Tenten!" He began to walk in the direction of Konoha Academy, but Tenten tugged roughly on his arm. "W-Wait, hold on. Is that...Gaara?" Tenten whispered, staring at the back of Gaara's flaming-red hair. Lee froze, and spun around. He realized that that was indeed Gaara, his first crush. 

"I do not believe it..." he murmured. Lee had just walked past his 'husband,' and he didn't _recognize_ him. "Can you hold on for a minute, Tenten?" Tenten nodded vigorously, and Lee bolted towards the dock, determined to talk to Gaara. Lee slowed to a walk, and approached the boy he once loved. Gaara turned around at the creaking, and relaxed when he recognized Lee. "Oh..hello again," he said casually, and turned around to continue staring at the water. "Erm...hi.." Lee mumbled. He stood there for a moment, shuffling his feet, before he had a sudden idea. "Um...do you mind if I ask you something?" Lee asked cautiously, shuffling closer towards Gaara. "Sure," he responded casually. "Isn’t it crazy how out of all the people in the universe, we met each other?" Gaara spun around, wide-eyed, before breaking into a bright smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I really had fun writing this, and I hope you had fun reading this! I will probably release a new story soon, so thanks for reading!
> 
> (if you didn't know, Ｇ♡Ｌ stands for 'Gaara ♡ Lee' <33 i have so much love in my heart for those two sjedhbiqwuh)


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